By Adam Pagnucco.
Here is today’s question.
If you are elected, name three things you would like to accomplish over the next four years.
District 1
Drew Morrison (D)
- Create new private sector jobs. We still have fewer private sector jobs than before the Great Recession. We cannot overcome our budgetary and affordability challenges without addressing our job base. I’ll grow good-paying, private sector jobs by investing in competitive industries, expanding workforce development in family-sustaining careers, and streamlining the permitting processes that are holding back small businesses.
- Make real progress on core affordability challenges on housing, childcare, and energy. We can build the right housing in the right places, making sure strategic sites like the White Flint Mall do not remain holes in the ground. On childcare, we can address space needs for childcare through reforms to the Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) process and better connect families with existing subsidies and open seats. On energy, we can work to fight rising Pepco bills and build the clean energy we need to fight rising prices.
- Get our budget back on track. I will fight tax increases that are making our community unaffordable. I will budget responsibly, while protecting our strong social safety net and schools. I will leverage my capital budget experience to deliver the infrastructure that our community needs with the resources we have.
Debbie Spielberg (D)
I will focus on affordability by helping create well-paid jobs, preserving existing affordable housing, and ensuring that new development pays appropriate infrastructure costs and delivers truly affordable units.
I will advance environmental protections through improved tree protection laws and practices, improved mass transit, implementing countywide composting in the most financially sensible manner, advocate for open space in the upcoming Friendship Heights sector plan and advocate for and help deliver the promised parks to Bethesda. I will also champion bringing the community back into planning for the future, which brings a better, more environmentally friendly result.
I will help jumpstart the local economy through renewed emphasis on incubators; reform of the approval process, which includes both planning and permitting; increased business center outreach; and making strategic investments in infrastructure like transit, schools, and parks so Montgomery County remains a great place to live and work.
Also, in this time of Trump chaos and cruelty, I will be an elected leader committed to the local work to dismantle anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and all forms of hatred and intolerance.
Reardon “Sully” Sullivan (R)
My campaign is centered on restoring common sense, accountability, and affordability in Montgomery County.
First, I want to promote practical, balanced decision-making that serves the broader community rather than the narrow interests or the unrealistic utopia of the political class. Policies should support growth, strengthen families, and reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses and residents.
Second, I will prioritize greater transparency in the County’s budgeting process. Residents deserve clear, accessible explanations of how their tax dollars are spent, including major cost drivers such as principal and interest cost on our debt which, at $440 million, is the third largest expense in the County.
Finally, I will work to ensure that County government operates efficiently and responsibly, with a focus on long-term fiscal sustainability using AI.
Julie Yang (D)
My goal is a Montgomery County that is financially responsible, economically strong, and full of opportunity.
Build a sustainable budget. Our county budget has spun out of control. I will advocate for requiring every major program to show results or be restructured or ended. We’ve watched government and spending grow without evaluation. That must stop.
On the Board of Education, I supported funding for our schools because they serve our students and families, but I have also pushed for stronger accountability and clearer results. We need both: responsible funding and real oversight.
Strengthen our workforce pipeline. We need qualified workers in this county to attract jobs and grow our economy. I will work to make that happen by linking our schools, Montgomery College, the Universities at Shady Grove, and apprenticeship programs directly to the jobs we are trying to grow here. We should be training residents for those jobs now and inviting businesses to partner with us in that effort.
Open Montgomery County for business. We need to make this county a partner to business, not a drag on opportunity. I will streamline permitting through a “one-stop” system with parallel reviews and dedicated support, with incubators and other resources that help grow our economy.
District 2
Marilyn Balcombe (D-Incumbent)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Arian Borghei (R-Write-in)
If I’m elected, First, I will make Montgomery County more affordable by lowering the cost of living and reducing the tax burden on working families.
Second, I will strengthen our local economy by attracting and retaining private-sector jobs so residents don’t have to leave the county for opportunity. Third, I will improve government accountability and efficiency ensuring taxpayers see real results from every dollar spent.
District 3
Jud Ashman (D)
I want to meaningfully expand the county’s economic vitality by attracting and growing high paying job opportunities for our residents – particularly in life sciences, technology, and advanced manufacturing – so we can reduce our reliance on federal employment and generate the money we need to provide the services our community deserves
I will work to give our residents more housing choices to fit their needs by accelerating the production of attainable housing. This means streamlining approvals, strengthening public-private partnerships, and aligning infrastructure investments with planned growth so we can make housing more affordable for everyone.
I will work to make our community safer by reducing the vacancy rate in the County’s police department – focusing on recruitment, retention, and support for officers – while continuing to invest in complementary strategies like behavioral health response and violence prevention so every resident feels safe in this community.
In Gaithersburg, I’ve built a long track record of success on all three of these fronts (see examples here, here, and here) – and that’s what I intend to do as a County Councilmember.
Allison Eriksen (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Ricky Fai Mui (R)
- Accountable and Transparent Spending: Establish periodic audits by the Education Committee on spending approx. 55% of the county’s Operating Budget; Refocusing 85% of MCPS budget on student learning and programs. Ensuring Law Enforcement and MC Fire and Rescue Service budgets are expanded to allow for a 24 hour ON/72 hour OFF rotation and that all stations have the appropriate complement of equipment and technology.
- Attract Employers and Jobs: Focus our MCPS education tracks to graduate young adults that are competitive in our region’s top industries: bio tech, pharma, light manufacturing, agricultural, and federal research. Employers are attracted to a healthy local talent pool, that does not need to relocate. Productive careers will provide long term financial solutions for maintaining housing options and minimize dependence on government social welfare support.
- Safe Neighborhoods: Ensure full staffing to permit neighborhood MCPD patrols. We must safeguard our communities with Officers we are familiar with. We must stop the cycle of violence, door-kickings, illegal street takeovers, narcotics sales and trafficking, and assaults in our grocery stores. MCPD may not report all incidents, however, Nextdoor and other media outlets certainly chronicle attacks on our community.
Izola Shaw (D)
I will focus on three key priorities to strengthen Montgomery County: job stability, housing stability, and a stable economy. Recent federal cuts and mass firings have severely impacted local businesses and workers, making job stability critical. I will support local companies, attract new employers, and invest in workforce development to ensure families have reliable incomes.
Housing stability is equally important. I will work to expand affordable housing options, protect renters from unfair rent increases, and help families remain in their communities. Stable housing is the foundation of healthy, thriving lives.
A stable economy ties these priorities together. It creates the environment for good jobs, affordable homes, safe neighborhoods, and well-funded schools. Economic strength enables families to afford nutritious food, access quality education, and live free from the constant worry of financial insecurity, safety concerns, or the fear of displacement.
By focusing on these interconnected goals, we can build a Montgomery County where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.
District 4
Paula Bienenfeld (D)
- Affordable housing: Restructure county economy to bring companies with high-paying jobs here. Rebalance our economy so more jobs here are private sector jobs, with a lower reliance on county government, including MCPS, and County funded nonprofit jobs. An additional revenue stream from private sector employees will provide more funds for affordable housing. Second, equity means equity. So, build out affordable housing across the entire county, ag. reserve excepted, rather than limit it to District 4 neighborhoods. I oppose disruptive rezoning that advantages investors but not our neighborhoods. I am committed to transparency, with neighborhood consultation before zoning plans are unveiled as done.
- MCPS: reframe our MCPS public schools so the mission is to prepare our students for satisfying, well-paying jobs. Make sure every MCPS student has access to all programs. Examine the MCPS budget to reduce the 45 percent overhead. Push for transparency from the Board of Education. The last-minute boundary decisions are a prime example of non-transparency in county government.
- Infrastructure maintenance: Catch up on school infrastructure, potholes, sewer, watermains. Conduct a fiscal audit to analyze how we got here, with so many delays in routine maintenance; update the system to improve reliability, accuracy.
Kate Stewart (D-Incumbent)
1) Continue to push back on the cruel and destructive policies of the White House while ensuring residents’ needs are met, especially the needs related to President Trump’s attack on the social services safety net.
2) Continue the work I have begun through my mental health initiative to promote mental health wellness by reducing stigma, addressing issues before they escalate, and creating healthier, more supportive communities.
3) Continue to work to ensure stable affordable housing is available in the county for all residents.
Peter “Rocky” Whitesell (D)
My central priority is rapidly expanding the production of affordable housing, and immediately addressing the rising homelessness crisis in our county. The increase in homelessness in my own neighborhood is what drove me to run in the first place.
A second goal is putting public transit on a sounder footing, as strong and fully utilized public transit is the only practical solution to the county’s terrible traffic congestion issues. Specifically I want to get us to the point where public transit is the desirable default choice, that it is reliable, fast, and frequent.
Third, I want our county government to take active steps towards protecting residents’ civil liberties from the present federal administration. Residents need to feel safe and secure in their persons, and that requires clear, enforceable policies for how county agencies, including law enforcement, are expected to act when those rights are at risk.
District 5
Charles Kirchman (D)
- Modernize the Dickerson incinerator for a long-term solution to our waste stream.
- Identify solutions to properly staff our public safety departments to ensure our residents are kept safe and reduce overtime expenses.
- Reinvigorate the protection of the Agricultural Reserve by enforcing the use of transfer development rights and through the other associated programs for protecting land from development.
Kristin Mink (D-Incumbent)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Josephine Salazar (R)
1) Secure Education Resources, 2) Ensure Public Safety and 3) Efficient Transportation.
District 6
Natali Fani-González (D-Incumbent)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Sonia Garcia (D)
I will work to restore resident trust in local government -because right now, that trust is broken. Families showed up to the County Council building and were met with a visible law enforcement presence. The County’s own Office of Legislative Oversight warned that the University Boulevard Corridor Plan would disproportionately displace Black and Latino homeowners – and the Council moved forward anyway. When you create an office to identify harm and then ignore what it finds, you have to ask: who is this process actually serving? Restoring trust means changing how decisions get made. I will push for OLO findings to carry real, binding weight before any vote, and require community input to be collected early, honestly, and in the languages residents actually speak — not as a checkbox after outcomes are already shaped.
I will fight for real affordability – not planning department math that calls a $900,000 unit “affordable.” I will close loopholes in existing legislation, preserve naturally occurring affordable housing, and ensure any taxpayer subsidy – including PILOT agreements and tax abatements – produces homes working families can actually afford. I will pursue “use-it-or-lose-it” rules so approved housing in the pipeline gets built.
I will make job creation a top priority – because we cannot talk about affordability without talking about income. As someone impacted by federal layoffs and whose father built a small business here, I understand economic stability from the ground up. I will diversify our economic base, support small businesses, expand workforce development, and grow our life sciences sector so teachers, first responders, and working families can afford to live in the communities they serve.
Louella Tham (R)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
District 7
Van Free (D)
First, I want to improve public safety and emergency response outcomes by ensuring our first responders have the staffing, resources, and support they need. My experience shows that response times and staffing levels directly impact survival and quality of life.
Second, I will focus on growing private-sector jobs. Montgomery County has fallen behind neighboring jurisdictions, and we need to streamline regulations, support small businesses, and attract employers so residents can work where they live.
Third, I want to make the county more affordable for working families. That includes addressing housing costs, limiting unnecessary tax increases, and finding efficiencies in government spending.
Across all three priorities, my goal is to bring a practical, results-driven approach focusing less on ideology and more on what actually works for residents.
Sharif Hidayat (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Dawn Luedtke (D-Incumbent)
- Public safety: I will continue supporting and leading on efforts for recruitment and retention of public safety professionals, as well as focusing on supporting and funding innovative force multipliers for public safety work. Over my first term we’ve seen a reduction in crime, and enhanced collaboration across our public safety agencies which provide enhanced response and crime solving capabilities as well as prevention.
- We need a plan to get the County’s fiscal house in order. The unfortunate reality is that following the COVID pandemic, the County Executive chose to continue increasing the size and cost of government. For the Council to reverse what is in a County Executive-recommended budget is difficult because it takes consensus from a majority of the Council. While a majority of this Council has prevented some unsustainable fiscal maneuvers and prevented some tax increases that would have been unaffordable for residents, we must focus on closing our structural deficit while saying “Yes” to economic growth.
- Continuing work to expand access for children in quality early education programs. We still face a large gap and we know early childhood education is critical to kids being set up for success once they reach MCPS.
Harold Maldonado (R)
- Restore accountability and transparency in county government I will push for disciplined budgeting, clear oversight, and policies grounded in cost-benefit analysis so taxpayers know exactly where their money is going. The current system has become opaque and disconnected from residents, and that must change. I propose creating a MoCo DOGE (without the mass layoffs) to audit all county financial records to identify fraud, waste, and abuse.
- Improve public safety and quality of life I will prioritize strengthening public safety, addressing rising crime trends, and ensuring law enforcement has the resources needed to protect our communities. Families deserve safe neighborhoods, not policies that ignore growing concerns about crime. I propose removing obstacles to the police department, namely the Accountability Board so that high morale and efficiency return to our police force.
- Strengthen the local economy and support working families I will focus on reversing economic stagnation by supporting small businesses, reducing burdensome policies, and ensuring the county creates an environment where families can thrive—not struggle under rising costs and overregulation. I propose freezing property, income, and utility rates for 2 years to provide immediately relief to the middle and working class.